USA
August 6, 2020

In a move that drives unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability, the Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands (CAN), a consortium of Dutch cannabidiol (CBD) producers, announces the launch of CanCheck.org, a free-to-use online CBD search tool that enables consumers to trace CBD products from the shelf to seed, with every link along the supply chain verified by blockchain.

This progressive, industry-led initiative comes amid ongoing confusion about the EU’s classification of CBD as a ‘novel food’, which saw food standards agencies (including the UK’s FSA) requesting producers to complete a lengthy and costly application process in order to keep their products on shelves into 2021. However, the European Commission has since revised its approach by indicating that the Novel Food Regulation 2015, which introduced the definition of food from the General Food Regulation 178/2002, is no longer applicable to extracts of the cannabis plant, meaning CBD cannot be legally classified as a food and isn’t, therefore, governable by the Novel Foods Regulation. As such, the Commission has unofficially put a pause on proceedings while it deliberates its next course of action. 

It remains unclear how the UK will react to these developments as it prepares to come out of the European Union and structure its own regulatory environment.  Speaking to the Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum, the FSA’s CEO Emily Miles called for closer collaboration with industry to address the challenges of the food system. CAN’s blockchain-powered tracing tool is an example of best practice and illustrates how a world-leading CBD regulatory environment can be built in the UK, protecting consumers and supporting SMEs.

Any CBD product bearing the CAN Quality Mark (pictured above) can be traced and its contents verified using the tool. The CanCheck system also contains consistent and clear product composition analysis conducted by accredited laboratories that guarantees:

• Accurate levels of CBD, CBA-A, THC (<0.05%) and THC-A (<0.05%);
• The absence of contaminants; and
• A full spectrum[1] composition

The CAN Quality Mark guarantees products are correctly labelled, meet strict quality requirements and come from EU approved hemp varieties. Such high levels of transparency will safeguard consumer trust and support the growth of those producers who comply. With 15 percent of the UK’s adult population taking CBD[2], British consumers will benefit from this industry-led initiative.

Founding CAN member HempFlax, Europe’s largest industrial hemp processor, is the first to have CAN-certified products on shelves. As the white label supplier to Jacob Hooy, one of the UK’s best-selling CBD brands, HempFlax’s CBD oil and capsules represents a significant portion of the UK CBD market and can be found at Holland & Barrett, in-store and online.

Simultaneously, the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA), Europe’s foremost coalition of the industrial hemp-processing industry, recently announced plans to invest €3.5 million in CBD and THC testing. This significant investment illustrates the extensive efforts being made to protect consumers and further the collective understanding of this popular wellness product and may go further in allaying the concerns of the regulator.

Mark Reinders, CEO of HempFlax, a founding member of CAN and a board member of EIHA commented:

“By using today’s blockchain technology to trace the production of hemp-derived cannabidiol products from shelf to seed, CanCheck will give consumers peace of mind when choosing their CBD products online and in-store. Full traceability, in combination with a strict quality control regime such as CAN’s, is the only way to ensure product quality and protect consumers. We hope to see this level of transparency adopted by CBD producers worldwide as a trustworthy and accountable natural CBD market begins to take shape.

“The achievements of CanCheck and the CAN Quality Mark show that we as an industry work proactively to introduce transparent laboratory analysis, clear labelling and traceability measures. These achievements will be supplemented by the immense programme of research being undertaken by EIHA on behalf of its members. EIHA’s studies will facilitate a significant advancement in our collective understanding.

“Hemp is not only valuable as a source of CBD; it can also produce building materials, such as insulation, plastic alternatives and a sustainable alternative to fibreglass. Unfortunately, many of the opportunists who have flooded into the CBD market in recent years do not appreciate, or value, the sustainable business practices that Total Crop Valuation affords. We at HempFlax live by the mantra that ‘nature has prepared the best materials’, and the CBD market’s new entrants would do well to take this on board.”

CanCheck.org offers consumers:

1. Laboratory analysis: Each product batch is fully analysed according to the quality requirements in CAN’s industry standards and meets the criteria for contaminants and cannabinoid content
2. Verified origin: Each product batch is traced back to its origin: the seed. Every link in the production chain is verified by blockchain
3. Accurate labelling: The labelling of each product is checked in accordance with the requirements in CAN industry standards. Each label is correctly drawn up and 100% reliable

CAN Quality Mark

All CBD products with the CAN Quality Mark (pictured above) can be traced and verified by the CanCheck search tool. Users can input a batch number, which will produce instant test results and shelf-to-seed tracing of that CBD product. Users can also enter the brand name or product into the search tab and find the batch number from there. An example of a Novatrace-verified batch of Jacob Hooy CBD can be found HERE

In addition to traceability and testing, CAN’s CBD Quality Mark ensures that CBD products are correctly labelled, meet quality requirements and derive from EU approved hemp varieties. The CAN Quality Mark’s labelling regime corresponds to EU food supplement regulation and requires the inclusion of 17 criteria including ingredients, CBD percentage levels, batch code, and the name and address of the CBD product’s food business operator.

Meanwhile, CAN’s required laboratory test procedures comprise 16 parameters including fingerprint cannabinoid profiling (chromatography), contaminants and CBD and THC content. Testing must be conducted by an approved laboratory. More information of CAN’s industry standard, including a list of approved laboratories, can be found HERE